Elixir

London's Elixir earned an awkward reputation upon issuing their 1986 debut The Son of Odin, as one of the final acts still linked to the fading New Wave of British Heavy Metal tag. Their formation in 1983, featuring guitarist Phil Denton alongside brothers Kevin Dobbs on bass and Nigel Dobbs on drums, placed them squarely inside the movement's peak, and they initially operated under the fleeting names Purgatory and Hellfire. By late 1984 vocalist Paul Taylor, formerly of Midas, and Irish guitarist Norman Gordon had completed the lineup, allowing the newly christened Elixir to share bills at London pubs and clubs with fellow late arrivals Tokyo Blade and Chariot. Labels remained unmoved by the band's demos, and after metal journalists prematurely dismissed them as Iron Maiden imitators, Elixir financed and issued their own 1985 single "Treachery" backed with "Winds of Time." The release drew favorable notice for echoing Rainbow and Maiden, prompting influential broadcaster Tommy Vance to grant the group a February 1986 appearance on his Friday Rock Show. Still unsigned, the determined musicians again raised funds to cut The Son of Odin, which they distributed independently through shops and mail order. Critical response proved encouraging, yet persistent commercial indifference eventually forced the departure of the Dobbs brothers in mid-1988, before a planned follow-up could be finished. Bassist Mark White came aboard for the new project, tentatively titled Sovereign Remedy, which also featured ex-Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr. Major labels continued to pass, and when Sonic Records finally issued the album in 1990 the material already sounded outdated; Burr had been succeeded by Stevie Hughes, his presence reduced to a sticker on the sleeve. Elixir disbanded shortly afterward, only to reunite with the full original lineup in 2003 amid renewed interest in the N.W.O.B.H.M., resulting in the delayed third album The Idol.